Lately I've been captivated by an idea: electromagnetic theories of consciousness , which hypothesise that conscious experiences are identical with certain electromagnetic (EM) patterns generated by the brain ( Pockett, 2012 ). The central claim of these theories is that spatiotemporally integrated information in an electromagnetic field feels like something. Dr Mostyn W. Jones , a philosopher of mind at University of Manchester, provides a good summary and comparison of EM theories of consciousness ( 2013 ), which come in a range of flavors: computationalist, reductionist, dualist, realist, interactionist, epiphenomenalist, globalist, or localist. What's the physical basis? Each neuron when firing generates an electric dipole field, and the overlap of these fields from the firing of many neurons across the brain produces an ever-changing and unified brain-wide electromagnetic field of extraordinary complexity. That much is known. EM field theories of consciousness take th
Taken me a while to get into it, but I've started a fermentation hobby with the latest lock-downs. With the latest round of lockdowns I've finally gotten into home fermentation. Not beer, sadly. Kombucha: My wife started it off by ordering a Kombucha kit for us from allaboutkombucha.ie . That was fun to set up with the brewing tea with the sugar and watching it ferment over days. We've made about 10 liters so far. Here is my kombucha recipe on copymethat . Sourdough : Next I ordered a sourdough starter from kefirgrains.ie , and have been making small boules and pizzas. First attempts had issues of course, but I like the sense progress as each bake gets better. Still nowhere near YouTube quality though. Here is my sourdough recipe on copymethat . Yogurt : Then I figured, why not yogurt? I always run out before the next delivery. I started by extending a Glenisk live yogurt (S. thermophilus + L. casei), and have been trying various ways to maintain temperature without a